Exploring Reno’s Many Parks Along the Truckee River

Like many cities, Reno sprang up along the river that runs through it. In Reno's case, it is the Truckee River, and urban planners built many parks along it for residents to enjoy. The parks serve as common areas to escape the summer sun and heat, bask in the sound and coolness of rushing water, study and learn about the unique geology and biology of northern Nevada – and even river raft down the river in the stretches suitable for river-rafting.

Photo at left: Idlewild Park

You can experience the variety of northern Nevada landscapes just by visiting the unique parks that dot the riverside. Without any further ado, here are the best parks that run along the Truckee River through Reno from East to West.

Wingfield Park

Let’s start in the center, where things are always happening. Wingfield Park is Reno’s downtown park. It sits on a little island between that splits the Truckee River into two relatively calm streams that surround it. As a result, this is a place where people can push their inner tubes into the river and float in coves protected by carefully placed rocks.  

This is where concerts, farmers markets, craft fairs and Artown events all take place. There are grassy areas for sitting and lazing about and a good number of trees that give shade. Whether you’re casually hanging out with no plans or heading to experience a downtown concert, Wingfield Park is always a great little park to visit.

Idlewild Park

Idlewild is Reno’s largest park along the river and has just about everything you could want in an urban park. There are multiple playgrounds, a duck pond, a rose garden and a sensory park, baseball fields, several grassy expanses with paved walkways and even a public swimming pool.

Idlewild Park is also the location of Riverside Farmers Market, a year-round Sunday event that turns the areas around the duck ponds into a bustling localvore’s paradise, with no shortage of baked goods, veggies, coffee and local crafts.

Whether you want to stroll around with the dogs, get in some real exercise or enjoy one of the many areas imbued with community spirit, Idlewild always has something to offer, any season, any time.

Oxbow Study Area

The next few parks are a bit more off-the-beaten path and nature-focused, but that makes them all the more interesting. Oxbow Nature Study Area, in particular, is one that is hard to fathom being so close to downtown Reno. This park has apartments surrounding it all on sides, but somehow remains a lush greenbelt, a refuge where the only constant is the sound of the roaring river and a vast variety of plants and animals.

Black bears, otters, beavers, bobcats and an amazing assortment of birds are active in the area. (Bears are rare and not a concern during the day, it should be said.) Bird and nature walks are common here, highlighting the effectiveness of Reno’s conservation efforts at preserving this unique wetland in the middle of downtown Reno. Oxbow is a true retreat that gets completely missed even by longtime residents. If you have been there yet, you are missing out!

Crissie Caughlin Park

Another park that’s easy to miss is Crissie Caughlin Park. Located along the river inside a small suburban development, it’s easy to mistake this for a private neighborhood park, but it is completely open to the public and a bit of a hidden gem. There are playgrounds, bridges, grassy areas and access to the Truckee River for wading and playing. Ample tree cover makes this a great summertime hideaway.

Hunter’s Crossing, River School and Mayberry Park

This next one is more an interesting stretch of walking or biking areas (biking is preferred and excellent around here, in my opinion) that spans the Hunter’s Crossing bridge, the areas around River School Farm and ends (or begins, depending on your direction) at Mayberry Park.

For the best experience, load up your bikes and park in the neighborhood around Hunter Crossing. Cross the historical bridge, making sure to snap photos of the views of the river along the way. On the other side, stop at the interpretative gardens. River School Farm (now going by Interpretive Gardens Inc.) used to be an alternative school, but it has shifted to focus on its garden area that doubles as a wedding venue and educational workshop area. There is a neat and interesting park that is open to the public to explore. This park and the parks they create are designed to thrive in the high desert climate and don’t attempt to appear like English gardens, making them both form-fitting and unique. The park is also adorned with metallurgical art, Burning Man-esque in character, and benefits from hillside and mountain views across the open expanses of river.

After exploring River School Farm, continue down the bike trail as it works its way down to Mayberry Park. This is a winding stretch with several places to stop and view the rushing river at little hidden coves and beaches among the trees. Once you make it to Mayberry Park, you’ll see this grassy expanse is a great place for a picnic, either at the park itself or on one of the tables right along the river. Right around here is common place for river rafters to start floating toward downtown. The local brewery, Brewer’s Cabinet Production Facility, even has air pumps for rafters to use within their building. But river rafting here is no joke:d\ Drownings happen nearly every year in the Truckee River, so be careful and go with an experienced guide.

Tom Cooke Trail

Finally, there’s the Tom Cooke Trail, which serves as the starting point for a number of great hikes that head into the hills and wind along the high points above Truckee River. A treeless, part-grassland, part-desert hike, this is a great place for early morning or off-summer hiking and mountain biking. There are hikes that stay along the Truckee River or those that go up farther toward the Steamboat Ditch and terminate at the Hole in the Wall, which is where you['ll find Steamboat Ditch, a manmade diversion of water coming out of the Truckee River higher up and used to help irrigate many of Reno’s parks. If you want wide-open views and uninterrupted nature that extends on and on into the distance, this is the place for you.

Reno owes a lot to the Truckee River. In all likelihood this mid-sized city would not exist if it weren’t for this gushing thoroughfare that brightens northern Nevada desert as it makes its way from Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake. So take the time to explore some of Reno’s Truckee River parks this summer and be thankful for this bounty of water that passes through our stretch of northern Nevada desert.

All photos by Dan Bablinskas